


Isolation is bad for the soul

by HelloThere3306



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: (only implied) - Freeform, Autistic Fethry Duck, Autistic Huey Duck, Della Duck Tries, Fethry Needs A Hug, Gen, Isolation, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29864466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelloThere3306/pseuds/HelloThere3306
Summary: Della finds about about Fethry's isolation, Fethry is confused, the kids are also there.
Relationships: Della Duck & Fethry Duck
Comments: 7
Kudos: 49





	Isolation is bad for the soul

**Author's Note:**

> This was purely for me. Tell me if there are any typos.

Della breathes deeply, feeling the sun on her face as she sits on the steps of the mansion, waiting. She can feel Donald and the kid’s presence behind her, but she can hardly focus on them. She's too excited.

During the moon invasion, the moonvasion, if you will, Della had realized how much she missed adventuring with her cousins. She missed Donald and Gladstones bickering, and Scrooge's insistence that they  _ stop doing that, you'll hurt yourselves!  _ and Fethrys fascination with everything weird.

And now she had the kids too, and apparently they'd all met Gladstone but Louie and Webby had yet to formally meet Fethry. As soon as they connected, she would have her entire family together, and it would be amazing, no matter  _ how long  _ she'd been gone, and the fact that apparently they all separated after she left and-

No! She's Della Duck, everything will be great!

"They're late," complains Donald, who's impatiently tapping his foot. 

Della punches his leg in response. "Gladdie had to pick up Fethry, they'll be here any minute now!"

Dewey sits down next to her, equally as excited to spend the day with his extended family. "D'you think they're gathering materials to go on a secret adventure from their side of the family?"

"Oh," Webby exclaims, now on Della's other side. "What if they got kidnapped on the way and we get - I mean  _ have _ to go save them from a nefarious evildoer?"

"They're right there," states Huey, arms crossed behind his back casually. Della chuckles at Dewey and Webby's twin groans of disappointment, ruffling their hair before standing and rushing towards Gladstone's expensively pristine car.

Fethry jumps over the door - the hood is down - to meet her halfway. Della squeezes him hard, and his weak grip squeezes back. Gladstone parks the car and greets her more casually. "Long time no see, Dells! Where's your moon friend?"

"You mean Penny? She's exploring Duckberg," Della answers, silently grateful for her friend's understanding. She'd wanted to have a family day - not that Penny wasn't family, but mostly she wanted to catch up with her cousins.

This is  _ their  _ day.

Fethry is now behind her, addressing the kids. He seems to gravitate towards Huey, which makes Della happy because they're _ perfect  _ for each other! Just watching, she can see the similarities. The hat, for one, and the color scheme. Also their excitement over nerdy things - and they hand flappy thing they do when they're excited. Huh. She's never noticed that one before.

Gladstone, though, has been ambushed by Louie. Weird. They're both standing as if the world works for them, and Louie catches the twenty dollar bill that floats towards the duo and pockets it.

Ah. That makes sense.

"Let's get inside," Scrooge says grouchily. He's not terribly happy about this little reunion, considering Della only told him seventeen minutes ago that she invited them. Oops. They enter as a group, Scrooge leading the way, and Ms. Beakley begrudgingly takes Gladstone's coat for him.

"Wow," Fethry exclaims. "Everything looks so different!"

Della narrows her eyes. Had he not visited at  _ all  _ while she was on the moon? Surely Gladstone had…

But he's also looking around as if everythings different. Argh! She'd trusted Donald to - well, no, that's not right, he'd never gotten along well with Gladstone. Well, she'd expected Scro - oooh. Maybe Della really is the only one keeping the family together…

No! Today is going to be great, and everyone is going to get along! Della smiles to herself, balling her fists, determined.

Things are gonna be great.

~ ~ ~

Dinner passed by quickly, with a lot of stories and excitement. Dewey and Webby especially were quite excited to relate their many shenanigans to everyone, despite the fact that most of them had already heard their embellished stories. Louie stayed near Gladstone, no doubt he thought of it as an 'investment.' Lena arrived with Violet at some point, and the kids bounded off to the attic to get into some sort of trouble.

Della sinks onto the couch next to Donald, resting her head on his shoulder. Shed almost expected there to be some big adventure tonight, but nothing happened. Shed also expected herself to be disappointed about that. Somehow, she isn't. She's enjoying the quiet, which is something she never thought she'd say.

"So," Scrooge starts awkwardly. He doesn't do small talk, but he also doesn't do awkward silences. He turns towards Fethry. "How's the underwater lab?"

Fethry smiles sheepishly. "Oh it got destroyed. The boys didn't tell you?" Fethry ignores Scrooge's indignant face and continues. "I've been travelling with Mitzy."

Della remembers Mitzy from the invasion. "Where is she?"

"Exploring the marina! She said she's gonna go off on her own for a bit, we're gonna meet up laterwards!" 

_ Laterwards?  _ Gladstone mouths, and Della shrugs.

Scrooge only sputters, probably thinking of the property (money) damage. Della's brain catches up with her and she furrows her brows. "Wait, you were in the lab?"

Fethry nods proudly. "I was the caretaker! My team and I!" 

"How long?"

"Since you left," answered Donald, preoccupied with the TV playing quietly in the background.

Before she can say anything, the ceiling collapses. All six of the kids drop in front of the coach. Violet waves sheepishly.

Dewey stands up ("ow") and points an accusing finger at Fethry. "You told us you were down there for four and a half years!"

Fethry only looks confused. "Yeah."

"Now you're saying you've been gone since mom left!"

"...yeah."

Huey brushes himself off. "Mom was gone for ten years."

Fethry stares blankly and then laughs. "Ha, no! I went down when she left, which was four and a half years ago!"

Della feels dread pool in her stomach. This sounds familiar. 

Gladstone raises an eyebrow. "Feathers, the kids are eleven. How could she have only been gone five years?"

Fethry wrings his hands nervously. "I'm...confused."

Della grabs his shoulders. "Fethry, was anyone with you down in the lab?"

"My team!"

"Which is a jar of glowy krill," Huey assisted. 

"Did anyone visit you?"

"We did," Huey answers, once again. His face is solemn, like he's realizing the severity of the situation. "A couple months before you got home."

Della feels anger bubble dangerously. Her cheeks grow red, and her hands ball at her sides. This isn't how she wanted things to go, but she may as well make the most of it. "What the actual f-"

~ ~ ~

Fethry sits on Webb's bed, tugging his hat down further over his head. Lena is sitting calmly next to him, and Violet is listing things off beside him, but he doesn't really listen.

"Symptoms of total isolation include: talking to inanimate objects-"

"Check."

"Depression-"

"Nah." 

"Time distortions."

"Evidently."

"Memory loss."

"He did forget the word 'brain.'"

"Anxiety."

"Also nah."

They keep talking but Fethrys more intent on doing some thinking. Della's mad. "Did I do something wrong," he asks Louie, who's laying on the bed beside Lena. 

Louie mumbles something, and then sits up to answer. "No. Mom's mad at Scrooge."

Fethry nods, a little reassured. "Why did she want me to leave then," he asks. The kids seem to understand what's going on better than him.

"So she can yell at him."

Fethry hums, then shrugs. These kids are young minds, he may as well take this opportunity to be a good cousin and mold them. "Wanna know about seahorses?"

Louie and Lena look at each other, then back at him. "Sure," Lena says.

~ ~ ~

Eventually, Fethry and the kids wander back into the TV room, and by that time things have calmed down. Della's still frustrated, (and Scrooge and Donald are looking properly chastised in the back) but she's able to mask it from the kids enough to proclaim that they're now doing some baking.

They all cheer and head to the kitchen, and Della grabs Fethry by the arm before he can follow. "Listen, Feth. Things might be a bit confusing for a while, but I went through the same thing. Do you ever have days that feel...fuzzy? And...too short, or too long?"

Fethry nods. "How did you know?"

Della smiles sadly. "I just do."

Fethry smiles back naïvely, twining his fingers through hers. "You're the best cousin, Dells. Ooh, wanna know about algae?"

Fethry begins to ramble, and Della melts.

Things will be fine.

They always are.

**Author's Note:**

> I may or may not make this a series, if any of you have requests related to Fethry. Or any requests, I can probably just make a request series. I dunno.


End file.
